The lavish late 19th-century teatro all'italiana interior comes as quite a surprise after the grey, angular, Mussolini-era façade and its esplanade with tacky potted palms. There are towering rows of boxes, and loads of stucco, frescoes and gilding everywhere. The acoustics vary greatly: the higher (cheaper) seats are unsatisfactory, so splash out on a box… it's all part of the experience.